Cisse’s death on Wednesday, according to his daughter, leaves a trailblazing legacy on the silver screen that spans 50 years and is characterized by a commitment to African storytelling, deep humanism, and profound political engagement.
“Papa died today in Bamako. We are all in shock. He dedicated all his life to his country, to cinema and to art”, Mariam Cisse said.
Cisse won the jury’s prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival for “Yeelen” (“Brightness”), which draws on legends from west Africa’s Bambara people.
Cannes awarded him the Carrosse d’Or in 2023, an award given to directors who “mark the history of cinema with their boldness, their strict standards, and their intransigence in staging.”
Before being recovered, that award was taken from his home in 2024.
YEELEN, one of the greatest films of the 20th century, won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes in 1987, making it the first African film to receive the award at the festival. pic. twitter.com/jYPzT0vdN3
The Sahel nation’s film industry is “mourning,” according to fellow Malian director Boubacar Sidibe, while Culture Minister Mamou Daffe lamented the loss of “this monument of African cinema.”
The Film at Lincoln Center non-profit also praised Cisse as “one of cinema’s greats”, citing his work, Yeelen, for “catapulting African film to the world stage”.
If God wills it, what will it be?
Only two filmmakers, including Cisse, have won the top prize twice at Burkinabe’s Panafrican Film and Television Festival, one of the largest and most prestigious in Africa.
The 29th edition of the festival’s features jury will travel to Ouagadougou on Thursday to lead the country’s capital on February 22.
Souleymane Cissé (April 21, 1940 to February 19, 2025). At 84 years old, and as , one of the last living pioneers of African cinema, his presence was an invaluable link to the continent’s cultural history.
Understanding Cissé’s body of work as a picture is the only way to truly honor his legacy. twitter.com/4XXyuQATMA
In his 2023 Cannes interview with the AFP news agency, he criticised the “censorship” and “contempt” that he said prevented African films being distributed around the world.
He pleaded with Mali’s military leaders to support the country’s industry as it prepares to compete with its continental rivals on the day of his death.
“It is not enough to make cinema, the works must also be visible. He urged the authorities to “help us with the construction of cinemas” at a press conference on Wednesday morning. If God wills it, I’ll make an appeal to them before I pass away.
Source: Aljazeera
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